1. Field of the Invention
The method and apparatus of the present invention is related to the field of wiring and control for electrical power distribution. In particular, the method and apparatus of the present invention is related to the organization of building wiring such that the relationship between switches and the objects they control can be dynamically configured.
2. Art Background
Traditionally, building wiring, e.g. household and office wiring, consists of a design where each electrical device, such as a lamp, is plugged into an electrical socket. This electrical socket is separately wired to a specific wall switch which in turn is wired to a power source. Consequently, manipulating the wall switch either completes or breaks the electrical circuit between the power source and the electrical device. This traditional wiring scheme has several disadvantages. Running multiple wires to accommodate each outlet and switch pair can be expensive and is difficult to organize. Typically, a complex entanglement of wires results. Thus it is extremely difficult to locate specific individual wires running from the power source to a specific wall switch or from a specific wall switch to a specific electrical socket. Furthermore, as requirements change, it is inevitable that these individual wires will need to be located and rewired to accommodate new configurations. Moreover, connecting manually operable switches to a live power source is a potential safety hazard. Similarly, having the wall switches directly connected to a power source forces the power distribution to be more widespread than necessary. It is preferable to have the power distribution localized to ensure that the power distribution can be more easily controlled.
FIG. 1 illustrates a power wiring system of the prior art. The electrical devices are coupled to electrical sockets and each electrical socket is connected to a power source through an intermediate coupling to a wall switch. The wall switch controls the flow of power from the power source to the electrical socket. For example, when a wall switch is switched "off" the switch is open and no power flows through to the electrical socket and consequently no power flows to the electrical device applied to the socket.
As will be disclosed, the present invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art by providing a method and apparatus for organizing the wiring of electrical devices to a power source and for providing switches that are dynamically configurable to control different electrical sockets and electrical devices.